MFWA Calls for Capacity Building of Journalists to Reduce Attacks
Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) Sulemana Braimah has admonished Media Oraginsations to build the capacity of their staff on the tenets of journalism. He believes this will protect journalists from needless attacks.
He indicates that reducing abuses against journalists will require a concerted effort not just from the state but media institutions in addressing the challenges of attack on press men.
“Media organisations have a responsibility in ensuring that increasingly, they educate and build the capacity of their staff in terms of knowing the principles and policies on how to keep themselves safe” he said.
Mr Braimah was speaking on the commemoration of World Press Freedom Day which was marked on May 3 2020. According to him, he was not surprised at the fall in Ghana’s ranking of press freedom.
“I think the main factors accounting for the continuous decline are the whole incidence of violence against journalists and most importantly the fact that when these violations occur, state institutions either refuse or fail to appropriately investigate them and bring perpetrators to book.”
Mr. Braimah called on state agencies to toughen efforts geared towards protecting journalists adding that it was the only way to restore Ghana’s past glories of being a media friendly country. He believes state agencies must be proactive enough and pursue all alleged attacks on journalists.
He explained further saying, “Increasingly, we are seeing more violence against journalists and at the same time we are seeing a growing culture of impunity which makes people feel that for journalists you can do anything against them and nothing will happen. As a country if we want to get back to our glorious moments in terms of press freedom our state agencies must increase their work in terms of investigating crimes against journalists and punishing perpetrators”.
Reporters without Borders in its ranking released in 2019 saw Ghana lose its spot as one of the best-ranked countries for press freedom. It moved from the rank of 23 to 27 from the previous year. The country has also lost its status as Africa’s best ranked country in the World Press Freedom Index. The drop was attributed mainly to the murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale in 2019. Despite these setbacks, Mr. Braimah believes the country is doing better as compared to other countries deemed to be firmly seated in democracy such as the USA.
“We haven’t lost it all. Indeed if you look at the ranking, we are placed higher than countries like the United States which has a much more consolidated democracy and an environment that literary supports freedoms including media freedoms”, he noted.
Former President, John Mahama on his part has touted his administration as one that treated journalists fairly as compared to the Akufo-Addo administration. He believes the closure of some radio stations by the National Communication Authourity and the lackadaisical attitude of government in probing the death of investigative journalist Ahmed Suale is an affront indictment on all efforts made by the country as a leading example for press freedom on the continent.
read this: I can’t reopen closed down radio stations, follow due process – Akufo-Addo
Meanwhile, the UN secretary General as part of the day has praised journalists for their hard work especially during the Covid 19 pandemic.
This year’s theme on the World Press Freedom day was “Journalism without Fear or Favour.”
SOURCE: KOJO DEI/ATL FM NEWS
